Study: Breast cancer risk increases modestly after childbirth
Does having children alter the risk of breast cancer? Women who give birth have a lower lifetime risk of breast cancer. However, newer data suggests that breast cancer risk increases immediately after childbirth. A study published in December 2018 examines data from the Premenopausal Breast Cancer Collective Group seeking to clarify this issue. (12/28/18)
Contents
At a glance | In-depth |
Findings | Limitations |
Questions for your doctor | Resources |
STUDY AT A GLANCE
This study is about:
Understanding the breast cancer risk associated with childbearing.
Why is this study important?
Young women or previvors with increased risk because of an are often still making family planning decisions. Knowledge of which situations are associated with increased or decreased risk of breast cancer can inform their decisions.
Study findings:
Compared to women who have never had children, women who give birth have a modestly increased risk of breast cancer for up to 20 years after childbirth (increased from 1.9% to 2.2% between ages 41 and 50). This increased risk peaks 5 years after they deliver. By 24 years after childbearing, women have a lower risk of breast cancer than women who never had children.
Factors that alter breast cancer risk after childbirth include:
- age of first birth
- number of children
- family history
Notably, contrary to previous suggestions, no association was found between breastfeeding and breast cancer. The risk of breast cancer was not elevated or decreased with breastfeeding.
What does this mean for me?
If you are considering having children, be aware that childbirth can cause a small increase in your risk of breast cancer. If you already have increased risk due to an inherited gene mutation, speak with your doctor about extra screening or prevention measures, particularly in the 5 years after birth, when risk - although small - is the highest.
In this study, no change in risk was seen with breastfeeding; the chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer was the same whether or not women breastfed.
Breast cancer risk rises with age of the mother at first childbirth. Women who choose to have children early before age 25 are at no greater risk than women who do not have children. By 20 years after childbirth, women who have children will have decreased risk as compared to women who did not have a child.
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Reference
Nichols HB, Schoemaker MJ, Cai J, et al. “Breast cancer risk after recent childbirth: A pooled analysis of 15 studies.” 2018. Annals of Internal Medicine. Dec 18, 2018.
Disclosure
FORCE receives funding from industry sponsors, including companies that manufacture cancer drugs, tests and devices. All XRAYS articles are written independently of any sponsor and are reviewed by members of our Scientific Advisory Board prior to publication to assure scientific integrity.
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I am planning on becoming pregnant in the next year, what screening or preventive measures should I take?
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I have recently had a child. What type or frequency of surveillance is best for me?
- I have a family history of breast cancer. What considerations should I include in my family planning?
- What impact will childbearing or breastfeeding have on my risk of breast cancer?
Who covered this study?
New York Times
Breast cancer risk may rise after childbirth, but it is still low.
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5 stars
FOX News
Risk of breast cancer may increase after giving birth, study says.
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msn.com
Having kids leads to a small, but significant increased risk of breast cancer.
This article rates 3.5 out of
5 stars
UPI
Women after child birth face greater risk of breast cancer, study says.
This article rates 1.5 out of
5 stars